


Through the Storm

by Love (crazylove)



Series: Whatever It Takes [5]
Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-09
Updated: 2010-07-09
Packaged: 2017-10-10 11:21:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/99197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazylove/pseuds/Love
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a dark and stormy night. Anoop waits for Matt to come home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through the Storm

Anoop knew something was wrong when Bailey didn't ask him to change the channel at exactly 8 o'clock. When he looked up from reading the paper on his Kindle it was 8:15 and Bailey was still on the floor in the corner of the living room, holding his elephant and staring at a coloring book.

"Oh," Anoop said when he noticed the time. "We're missing it, buddy."

He turned on the TV. It could have stayed off all night as far as he was concerned but this was Bailey's favorite show. They were in the middle of a week long mini-series about all the creatures in the ocean called Secrets of the Deep which was narrated by Will Smith. It was strange for Anoop to think of Will as some old wise man with an authoritative voice like James Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman. Every time he heard him start talking on the documentary all he could picture was Will spinning over some dude's head in the opening credit's of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But they didn't even sell that show on DVD anymore. They didn't even sell _DVDs_ anymore in some places because most people just had their digital player. It made Anoop feel old, even older than 30, and the gray hair he found in his hair the other day did not help.

"Bailey?" Anoop said. He started the show over again from the beginning with a push of the Start Over button on the remote. "Baby, your show is on. Come on, let's look at the whales."

Bailey got up and walked over to him slowly. He'd been quiet all evening but Bailey was usually quiet on the nights that Matt wasn't home. Anoop knew that Bailey missed Matt's hugs and goofy faces over the dinner table. It used to make Anoop jealous but now he just accepted that Bailey and Matt had a different relationship than he had with Bailey. It wasn't bad. Anoop treasured all of the things that made Anoop happy and he'd always treasure Matt regardless. But he did like the nights when he got Bailey alone so he could read him a story before bed and have all the goodnight hugs and kisses to himself. It was special to him and he hoped it was special for Bailey too. He enjoyed how they watched the ocean documentary together every night, whether Matt was home or not, and he could watch the look on Bailey's face as he took everything in. Sometimes he'd look at Anoop and just say, "Wow" and Anoop would have to agree because the ocean was "wow" and he was proud that Bailey was already smart enough to understand that.

It was Friday so this was the last show. Anoop pulled Bailey into his lap when he was close enough. Bailey settled against him as Anoop wrapped his arms around him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, kissing Bailey's cheek.

Bailey didn't say anything. Anoop fast forwarded through the commercials. He didn't know why they even bothered anymore. Will Smith talked about tiny glowing creatures way in the deep dark depths of the ocean, a new species that had never been discovered. Anoop held Bailey a little tighter and thought he felt a bit warm. He pressed his face against Bailey's sweet smelling curls for a moment and then placed the back of his hand on Bailey's forehead.

"You feel okay, Bailey?" Anoop asked.

Bailey still didn't say anything but he had his eyes closed. Anoop paused the TV and sat Bailey on the couch beside him. Bailey laid back on his side and blinked at him.

"You don't feel good," Anoop said, rubbing Bailey's side gently. "I'm sorry, Bailey."

He went to kitchen quickly. They kept a thermometer in the junk drawer. Anoop also found a handful of condoms and he slipped them in his pocket. He didn't want Bailey getting into those and he couldn't remember the last time they did it in the kitchen anyway. It was some time before they got the new granite countertops and that had to be over a year ago. After that Anoop didn't want to mess up their investment. He shook his head as he walked back to the couch to take Bailey's temperature.

"101," Anoop said, taking the thermometer out of Bailey's mouth as soon as it beeped. "Not too bad. I think we should just go to bed."

"My ear," Bailey said, pointing to his left ear all of a sudden.

"Your ear?" Anoop repeated. "Your ear hurts?"

Bailey nodded. Anoop leaned over Bailey's ear but he couldn't really see anything so he got a small flashlight from the same drawer and used that. Bailey winced and grabbed his ear as soon as Anoop came close again.

"I didn't even touch you, baby," Anoop said. He frowned because he still couldn't really see anything even with the flashlight. Bailey had tears in his eyes.

"Ow," he sniffed. Anoop felt awful like he always did when Bailey was sick.

"How about this?" Anoop said, mostly talking to himself. "We'll go upstairs and I'll tuck you in. We'll read a story and I'll give you some medicine. Then it's bedtime. Okay, baby? You'll feel better soon."

He walked upstairs, holding Bailey carefully. Bailey clung to him even after they got to his room and Anoop tried to lay him down on the bed.

"Daddy," Bailey said, sounding sick and sad.

"I'm right here," Anoop said. He kissed Bailey's face and unwrapped his arms from around his neck carefully. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Where's Daddy?" Bailey asked as Anoop undressed him. Bailey seemed content to just lay there. Anoop thought about a bath but then he just grabbed Bailey's pajamas. They could do it in the morning.

"He's coming back tonight," Anoop said. "You'll see him in the morning." It was quite easy for Anoop to know which Daddy Bailey was talking about, most of the time. If he ever got it wrong Bailey would just correct him immediately.

"It hurts," Bailey said and then he really started crying. Anoop took a deep breath, feeling a little nervous. Bailey pressed his hand against his ear. Anoop pulled it away gently.

"I know, baby. We're going to make it better, okay? Stay here."

Anoop eased off the bed but then Bailey started crying harder and reaching for him. He sighed and pulled Bailey into his arms. He wondered if Bailey had ear infections when he was younger. Maybe this was a pattern they had missed. There was no one to ask. Bailey certainly didn't remember and the state had given them all the medical records they had on Bailey, which weren't much because they lost a lot of data in a server crash. Bailey was so warm but at the same time he seemed to be shaking. Anoop decided maybe he should give him a bath after all, if only to help with the fever and because it might be soothing.

"Shhhhh, Bailey," Anoop said. "How about a bath? That'll make you feel better."

He carried Bailey to the bathroom in the master bedroom because it was sort of a treat when Bailey was sick. He could sit in the soaking tub and Anoop turned the jets on, lightly. They even had padding so it was more comfortable to lean against the porcelain. Anoop rarely used the tub but he found Matt in it, sometimes. Once they tired to use it together but it didn't really work out.

Anoop made sure the water was lukewarm before he helped Bailey get in. Bailey was still blubbering but not as bad when he sat down in the water. Anoop ran a washcloth over him gently. Bailey was still messing with his ear.

"Can I sing you a song?" Anoop asked. Bailey nodded, still looking miserable.

"What should I sing?" Anoop decided to make a warm compress for Bailey's ear with another washcloth. Bailey wanted to hold it against his own ear and it seemed to help a little.

"The bee song," Bailey said. Anoop thought Matt did better singing that silly song he made up but Anoop knew it well enough. He sang it the best he could and Bailey smiled so feeling a little bit stupid was definitely worth it.

"Bubbles," Bailey said, pointing at the jets with his free hand. The other hand was still holding the washcloth.

"Yes, does it feel good?" Anoop kissed Bailey's face. He felt a little cooler from just being in the lukewarm water. Bailey nodded. Then a huge crack of thunder shook the house, coming out of nowhere. It was so loud that Anoop jumped. He thought maybe lightning at hit a tree in the front yard and it fell down. Bailey started to wail. Anoop pulled him out of the bathtub quickly.

"Whoa," he said. He wrapped Bailey in a towel and hugged him. "Just a storm, baby. Nothing scary. It's just storming outside."

Anoop peered out of the bedroom window, blinking at the lighting that flashed in the pitch dark night sky. He hadn't gotten around to closing all the blinds yet. Anoop didn't know where the storm came from. The pouring rain and then noise seemed to come out of nowhere. Bailey was still crying when Anoop took him back to his bedroom. Thunder rolled through the air again, loud and sharp. Bailey cried harder, grabbing his ear.

"It's okay, Bailey," Anoop said. This time he just put Bailey in a t-shirt and his underwear with numbers on them in different colors. The storm wouldn't let up, loud as ever, shaking the whole house. The wind whipped against the windows and rain pounded the roof. Bailey wouldn't stop crying even as Anoop laid on the bed with him and held him. He didn't know if Bailey was crying more about his ear or just scared from the storm. He didn't know how it got quite so vicious but the storm just wouldn't let up. Bailey hadn't been bothered by storms before but they'd never had one quite this bad.

Anoop jumped when there was another loud boom and Bailey started wailing louder. He couldn't help it. The house sounded like it was coming apart.

"Just a storm, Bailey," Anoop said but his heart was pounding and he knew Bailey could tell. Anoop had to let him go. He tucked Bailey's elephant into his arms. "I'll be right back."

"Daddy!" Bailey called as Anoop walked quickly to the bathroom. "Daddy!"

Anoop's heart beat even faster as he listened to Bailey cry out like that. But he needed to get to baby Tylenol because he probably should have given that to Bailey a while ago. He wasn't gone but a couple minutes but Bailey was still crying like he'd left him on the side of the road forever.

"You're okay," Anoop said. He sat down and pulled Bailey into his lap. After a couple moments Bailey calmed down enough so Anoop was able to give him the little cup of Tylenol. Bailey made a face after he swallowed it.

"That's yucky," he said.

"It tastes like grape," Anoop said. He stuck his nose up to the open bottle and took a deep breath. "Mmmmm.... smells so good! I love it!"

Bailey stopped crying long enough to laugh a little. Anoop kissed his forehead and capped the bottle before he set it on the floor. The thunder had calmed down but it was still raining really hard.

"Let's go to sleep," Anoop said. "Bedtime, Bailey."

"My ear," Bailey said. He let Anoop tuck him in under the covers. "My ear hurts."

"I know, baby. If you go to sleep you'll feel better. I promise, okay?" Anoop stroked Bailey's hair while he closed his eyes. This time Anoop sang something he chose, one of the lullabies from Megan's latest kids' CD. Bailey seemed to be breathing a little easier. He hoped the Tylenol helped. Anoop touched Bailey's forehead. It seemed a little cooler. Anoop breathed a sigh of relief when the thunder started up again. Bailey didn't stir despite the intense noise. Anoop went over to the window and watched the leaves on the tree near Bailey's room rattle in the storm.

Anoop's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, answering quickly when he saw it was Matt.

"Hey Noop," Matt said. "I'm about an hour away. What's up?"

"Is it storming over there?" Anoop asked. He went into the hallway and closed Bailey's door, leaving it open just a crack.

"What?" Matt said. "No, it's not doing anything. I'm just driving. It's clear."

Anoop had never been nervous in storms but the thunder was so loud. He walked to his bedroom slowly and sat on the bed.

"It's storming here really badly," Anoop said. "So be careful."

"You know me," Matt said. "I _like_ to hydroplane!"

Matt laughed while Anoop rolled his eyes. Over the years Matt had become a little less reckless, especially since they adopted Bailey, but it never completely went away.

"How'd it go?" Anoop asked.

"Oh," Matt said, like he'd forgotten he'd gone to Memphis to do some work. Knowing Matt he probably did forget where he was during the three-and-a-half hour drive back to Nashville. "It went great. You should have seen Aurora. She killed it! They went for everything. All the songs. They fit her perfectly. You gonna sign her, Noop?"

"We're still working on the details," Anoop said. It felt comforting to get into work mode. It took his mind off of the storm for a moment. Anoop decided to take his own advice. He took off his pants and snuggled under the covers. It would have been better if Matt was there so they could talk in person but he'd have to deal with the phone.

"You should do it. I know she'll be really good. You should have seen her live. It's just incredible. You know I'm not impressed easily."

Anoop laughed. "Remember Missy the Poodle?"

It took Matt a moment but then Matt laughed, his loud laugh that Anoop loved. "You didn't see her! She had perfect pitch, Noop. Every note I hit on the piano that dog was barking it. I know you don't believe me but it's true!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Anoop said with a laugh. "Why isn't there any evidence for this?"

"Sometimes there's not any evidence. You just have to believe, Anoop. You have to believe! You passed up a golden opportunity. I'll never let you forget."

Anoop was still laughing when lighting lit up the room and then the thunder was so intense that it sounded like something had hit the side of the house. Anoop couldn't help gasping.

"What's wrong, Noop?" Matt asked.

"The storm," Anoop said. "It's pretty bad."

"Is there a tornado watch or something?"

"I don't even know," Anoop said. He thought about grabbing the remote but he didn't know where it was. The bed was too comfortable to leave anyway.

"I'll be home soon," Matt said. "We can pop popcorn and watch a movie. Or... something else." Matt added, lowering his voice. Anoop opened his mouth to tell him about Bailey but Matt was still talking.

"I have something else to tell you," Matt said. "There were a lot of people at the show this afternoon. What would you think if I got signed to a major?"

"What are you talking about?" Anoop said. He moved the phone away from his ear for a minute. He thought he heard Bailey but now all he could hear was the rain.

"Some Sony execs were talking to me," Matt said. "Noop, you should see these numbers."

"What?" Anoop said. He sat up straighter, frowning into the dark room.

"We can talk about it when I get home," Matt said. "Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are!"

"Wait," Anoop said. "Are you seriously considering signing with another label?"

"I didn't say that," Matt said. "There's just an offer on the table. They loved my last CD."

"Of course they did!" Anoop said. He thought about all the time they put into the album after they got back from the trip with Bailey and how they spent most of the summer on the road promoting it to platinum sales and two number one singles. Anyone was going to want that after Anoop had done all the hard work. He couldn't believe Matt was even telling him about this.

"We can talk about it later," Matt said. "I didn't mean to make you upset, Anoop. I just thought it was kind of exciting. I mean, Noop, it's a _lot_ of money."

"We don't need money, Matt," Anoop hissed. "God. I don't want to talk about this."

"It's not that big of a deal, Anoop," Matt said. "You know I love being on your label. But think about the other side. It's more money and then you can funnel the money you put into my projects into something else. You'll have more money to put into the label. My money is your money! Plus, it might be good if we didn't have both a professional relationship and our marriage. It can get confusing sometimes."

"We are _not_ talking about this right now," Anoop said, anger swelling in his chest. Matt didn't want to have a _professional_ relationship with him? He snorted, not feeling amused at all.

"Fine, Anoop, we don't have to talk at all," Matt said. "Who cares what I want."

"It's always about what you want!" Anoop snapped. Thunder boomed and then Bailey started crying.

"I don't want to fight," Matt said as Anoop got out of bed. He walked quickly to Bailey's room. "You started it."

"This is completely idiotic, Matt," Anoop said. "Completely idiotic." He opened Bailey's door and immediately smelled the vomit. Bailey was crying. He'd thrown up all over the side of the bed and the floor.

"I'm just trying to tell you about my day," Matt said. "This could be a good decision for us! It's not like I'm trying to say that I don't to be on the label anymore. But I'm also saying we shouldn't just say no right off the bat."

"They'll drop you as soon as you don't have a good day, Matt," Anoop said, keeping his voice low. "They'll never forgive you if you screw up one single thing you're supposed to do like you most likely will. I've got to go. Bailey's sick, he just threw up. Thanks for asking about him. Bye."

Anoop tossed his phone onto the chair in Bailey's room and waited for the initial wave of anger to pass.

"Daddy," Bailey said, tearfully.

"Do you still feel like you're going to throw up, Bailey?" Anoop asked. Bailey just sniffled. He had to shake off his conversation with Matt and deal with Bailey. He gave Bailey another bath and sat with him as he laid on Anoop's bed until he went back to sleep. Anoop cleaned up Bailey's room making a mental note to call the doctor in the morning. Matt opened the front door just as Anoop started the washer full of Bailey's dirty sheets and his pajamas. Anoop had forgotten about the rain until he came up the stairs and saw Matt's soaked hair and his wet t-shirt clinging to his chest.

"Bailey's sick?" Matt said. He propped his suitcase up against the wall just inside the door.

"Yeah," Anoop said. "I think he has an ear infection. He just threw up a couple of times. Mostly his ear hurts and he has a fever." He paused, looking Matt over. "I guess you ran into the storm."

"I guess," Matt said. Anoop could have given him one of the towels they had stashed in the front closet but he didn't move.

"Where is Bee?" Matt asked.

"He's in our room," Anoop said. "I have to change his sheets."

"I'm sorry, Noop," Matt said. He headed up the stairs before Anoop could ask what he was sorry about.

Anoop didn't go up there right away. Instead he went back down to the laundry room and tried to listen to the washer but it was so quiet he could barely hear it. He had to admit he was a little jealous. A major had never wanted to sign him, not even after all those years and the EPs he produced independently. He used to think that he didn't care but really it was just another dream that really was never going to come true.

He looked up when he heard the thunder again. It seemed even louder from being on the bottom level of the house. He didn't know what it was about that storm that got him so freaked out. Anoop headed up the stairs until he made it to the bedroom. Bailey was awake and he looked content in Matt's arm. Matt was talking softly, wearing a t-shirt that was older than Bailey and the pajama pants Anoop gave him a couple of months ago before they started the tour.

"Hey," Matt said when he noticed Anoop in the doorway. "The thunder woke him up but he's okay."

Bailey did look a little better. There was a little more color in his cheeks and he was relaxed.

"How's your ear, Bailey?" Anoop asked.

Bailey tugged on his ear and smiled when Matt kissed him there.

"Is it better?" Anoop asked as he walked over to the bed.

"Yes," Bailey said, sweetly.

"I gave him some Tylenol," Anoop said. "I guess it worked."

"I was telling my little Bee that I'm sorry he doesn't feel good," Matt said. "I'm going to be home all weekend to be with you. Okay, Bee?"

Anoop crossed his arms and stared down at them. No matter how he was feeling about Matt this was always one of his favorite sights. He loved to see Matt holding Bailey, both of them looking so happy to be with each other. His favorite picture of his desk was a picture of Matt with his arms wrapped around him as he laid on the couch with Bailey on top of him. They both had big smiles that couldn't be faked. It always reminded Anoop of what was waiting at home. It reminded Anoop about what he worked for. He would do anything to make them happy. He thought about that every single day sitting behind his desk, working late on the phone. He thought the label was his dream but actually his family was. It was the dream he never knew he had until he had it.

The thunder came again. Anoop crawled into the bed. Matt didn't hesitate before reaching him and Anoop was glad. Bailey snuggled between the two of them as Anoop scooted closer.

"You need to get some rest, baby," Anoop said. "Lay down."

Bailey laid down obediently, curling up across both Matt and Anoop's lap. He closed his eyes without any coaxing. Anoop turned to Matt. His green eyes and long eyelashes were so close to Anoop's face.

"I'll tell them no," Matt said. "I'm sorry. I got excited. I was just being stupid."

Anoop stared at him for a few moments. Then he leaned in and kissed Matt softly. It didn't matter if Matt was gone for a day or for two months, he always missed him the same. It was a dull ache that could get sharp sometimes. He'd had the same sorts of pains since after the tour when they were apart for what seemed like forever. He didn't know exactly when Matt became such a part of him but he tried to deny it for a long time. It never did work.

Now he ran his fingers through Matt's curls which reminded him of Bailey's.

"You're not stupid," Anoop said.

"I'd never leave you," Matt said. "We have a good business."

"You're not just business to me, Matt," Anoop said. He kissed him again, a little firmer. Bailey didn't stir even as Anoop cupped Matt's face with one hand and gave him the kind of kisses he fantasized about whenever he had a few minutes alone.

They pulled away after a few minutes. Anoop wiped Matt's bottom lip for him.

"You're not mad anymore?" Matt asked hopefully.

Thunder tore through the room, so wild and loud that Anoop grabbed Matt's arm. Matt looked at him with a wide eyed looked. They both glanced at Bailey at the same time. He didn't move. Matt laughed.

"Sounds like something is taking the house down!" Matt said.

"That's what it sounded like all night," Anoop said. He kissed the corner of Matt's mouth. "It's kind of freaky."

"I'll protect you, don't worry, Noop," Matt said.

"You looked like you were just about to dive under the bed," Anoop said with a smile.

"Well, you looked the same way too," Matt said. He laughed and put his arm around Anoop. "Don't worry, we can be wimps together. I won't tell if you won't tell that we're scared of thunder."

"Deal," Anoop said. He rested his head on Matt's chest.

"Bailey is making my legs go numb," Matt said.

"Me too," Anoop said. "He misses you so much when you're gone."

"He misses you, too," Matt said. "He always says 'where's Daddy?' even if I just told him that you went to work."

Anoop's heart lifted a little in his chest. He hadn't really known that. He didn't really think Bailey noticed when he was gone. "He does the same for you. He always wants to know when you're coming back."

"We have all weekend," Matt said. "All of us. We'll just baby him. Do you think he got the ear infection from swimming too much?"

Anoop looked at Matt in surprise because this hadn't occurred to him. It was true that Bailey was in the pool almost every day.

"I guess it's possible," Anoop said. "We should ask the doctor. I didn't think of that."

"See, I'm good for something," Matt said with a proud grin.

"I couldn't do it without you," Anoop said, seriously. "Ever."

"Me neither," Matt said.

Anoop could hear the beep of the washer downstairs. Bailey was fast asleep as Matt pulled him off of Anoop's lap so Anoop could get up.

"Are we going to talk about the Sony thing?" Matt asked. Anoop turned to him from the doorway. "Look at the contract before we burn it?"

Anoop took a slow breath. Sometimes doing the best for his family meant doing the hardest things.

"We don't have to burn it," Anoop said. "We'll talk. Maybe it is something we should really consider."

Anoop moved Bailey's sheets to the dryer. He couldn't wait until they came out fresh-smelling and warm. Even though his sheets had the better thread count Bailey's sheets were always softer. The dryer would only take about 15 minutes so Anoop just waited. He couldn't hear the storm so well down there and the smell was comforting. He thought about his own project, shelved indefinitely. Matt had been his main focus these past few months, professionally. Maybe if Matt had another label he could focus on his own music again. Maybe he would lay in bed beside him at night and not think so much about digital airplay. Maybe he could relax a little more at home.

But Matt was also the best selling artist he had.

By the time Anoop made Bailey's bed both Matt and Bailey were asleep, Matt holding Bailey in his arms, much like that picture of Anoop's desk. He knew he wasn't going to wake them. Anoop only turned off the lights and got into bed beside them.

The storm had drifted away. All they were left with was the pitter-patter of gentle rain on the outside of the house. The blinds moved with an invisible wind from inside and Anoop watched them for a little while.

He didn't think he'd get to sleep so fast but when he opened his eyes it was morning and Bailey was whimpering. Matt was still fast asleep so Anoop peered into Bailey's brown eyes.

"Your ear still hurts, Bailey?" he asked. Bailey nodded, pressing his hand against his ear.

"Don't worry," Anoop said. "I'll take care of you."

Anoop got up, careful not to disturb Matt. He'd take care of both of them. That was the only thing he knew for sure.


End file.
